Daily Bible Reading: Day 255

Psalms and WisdomPsalm 40

Pentateuch and History2 Samuel 1

Chronicles and ProphetsDaniel 12

Gospels and EpistlesLuke 8:4-21

53 years old. I remember thinking as a child that 50 was really old-and now here I am at 53 this morning. I still feel like a kid with much to learn, only now I am even more aware of how much I still do not know. This year is a first in the card department; "From Both Of Us, Mom" it reads. "From the one you raised right from the start" (Oh, Matthew you and Woofie -his faithful four-legged companion- got me a card.) Upon opening this card though my eyes tear up as I read "And the one you welcomed into your heart" It is signed by Matthew and his fiance Cassidy. Well, how could a birthday get any better than that? Comes very near to the one that saw us welcoming our firstborn into our lives (Though he made his grand entrance a few days ahead of my day giving us quite a scare being born 5 weeks early.)

So I sit here pondering my life, Lord. You have given me so much, not just this wonderful family on earth to love, but a place in Your family. You chose me, not because I was a wonderful person who tried to do what was right--for all of my righteousness was filthy rags--but for reasons I can never fully fathom. This day 53 years ago gave birth to my physical body, a body that is destined to continue to decay as the years march on. You, Lord, have given birth to my spiritual body, a body that gets better with age as I learn to live and walk close to You.

You "drew me up from the pit of destruction,out of the miry bog,and set my feet upon a rock,making my steps secure." -Psalm 40:2

How often I still like to think that salvation is somehow part of my own doing. Oh, I know, it is by Your grace and your grace alone-but there remains a whisper in my ear that somehow I have something to do with it too. Yet, even that fact that I have "ears to hear" is by Your divine plan. Oh, to grace how great a debtor! Can it be any more clear? These are the words that leapt off the page this morning as I read your holy and innerant word:

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,but you have given me an open ear. -Psalm 40:6a

As he (Jesus) said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” -Luke 8:8b

And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. -Luke 8:9-15

Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” -Luke 8:18

So, Father God, on this day of my 53rd birthday, I ask that you give me ears to hear Your voice-may it drown out all others that attempt to draw me away from You. Grant that I may be like the good soil; holding fast Your word in an honest and good heart, bearing fruit with patience. Yes, I am allowing myself to even pray for patience this morning! Oh, how good and gracious You have been to me. May I never forget!